# Is "A Private Cathedral" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Private Cathedral by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster, 2020) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The US Simon & Schuster hardcover is the true first, published August 2020; it is the twenty-third Dave Robicheaux novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- ISBN 9781982151683 on the hardcover first
- Bound in quarter cloth and paper-covered boards with the spine stamped, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 2020 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 (10 9 8… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). ISBN 9781982151683 on the hardcover first. Bound in quarter cloth and paper-covered boards with the spine stamped, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster hardcover is the true first, published August 2020; it is the twenty-third Dave Robicheaux novel. A separate Barnes & Noble exclusive edition is a distinct issue that adds a bonus short story and is signed by Burke on a tipped-in publisher's page rather than on the title page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition affecting first-edition identification for this modern hardcover.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Private Cathedral* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-private-cathedral
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.